Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-06-09
PLEuRO-PNEUMONlA..


The Commissioners of Agriculture Appeae.
to the Railroad and transportation Com
pany Managers to Aid, by Means Sus>
gested, in Preventing the Spread of the
PIeuro-Pneumonia Contagion.
WASHINGTON, June 2-Commissioner OF
Agriculture Colman yesterday sent out
circular letter addressed to the managers
of all railroads and transportation com
panies in the United States. urging theil
cooperation with the department IN pre-
yenting @ the spread of pleuro-pneumouia
The commissioner in his circular, after
calling attention to the fact that pleur0
pneumonia exists among cattle in Illinois,
Maryland and New York, says: tine ex
istence of this contagious disease in such
important cattle centers as these States
is danger so menacing to the cattle in-
terests of the United States. that it calls
for the most prompt, thorough and energet
ic measures that can be taken, not only by
the National Government, but also by all
parties interested in the preservation OF
the great cattle industry of the country.
No persons or class of persons are more
interested in the safety and growth OF
this industry than transportation com
panies, who derive a very large portion OF
their earnings from the shipment of cat
tie, and their products, and none should
be more active and energetic in enforcing
such measures as are necessary to stamp
out this disease, and prevent its possible
spread.
The insidious character of this disease
its easy and imperceptible propagation
by contact with animals having the germs
of disease and giving no outward symp
toms of its presence, the contraction OF
the plague from infected cars, the spread.
ing of the germs by means of manure
carried in uncleansed cars from place tc
place, all make it a matter of con Germ ano
render it necessary that stringent meas
ures should be adopted to protect the cat
tie interests of the country from
this great evil have, there
fore. to suggest and to request
that all transportation companies shall
establish on their respective lines, rule
and see that it is rigidly enforced, that al
cars that have carried live stock shall be
thoroughly cleansed on the dlschargine
of their freight, and not allowed to leave
the freight or stock-yards before this Is
done. Also that the cars shall be care
fully disinfected in the following m amer:
Remove all litter and manure. Wash the
car with water thoroughly clean. Sat
urate the walls and floors with a solution
made by dissolving four ounces OF
chloride of lime to one gallon of water.
Stock yards and pens should be cleansed
and disinfected at least once week.
Transportation companies having con-
nections with infected districts should re-
quire parties Offering cattle for shipment
to present at point of loading affidavits OF
the owner and two disinterested persons
stating that the cattle to be shipped have
not been in any infected districts, and
have not come in contact with cattle
from infected districts. These affidavits
should be attached to and accompany the
way bill to point of destination.
As several very extensive outbreaks OF
pleuro-pneumonia have recently been
traced to cattle that had been shipped
from infected districts a considerable
distance by rail, the necessity of these
precautions can not be over estimated,
and, if enforced, they would be a mater ial
safeguard against the spread of the dis
ease.
Railroad com panes, the commissioner
says, can be of the greatest assistance to
the Bureau of Animal Industry in Its
work of extirpating pleuro- pneumonia, il
they will coop rate with it, and assist in
maintaining the rules and regulations
prescribed on April Is, 1887 and the quar-
antine orders since made.
The commissioner closes his circular
by expressing the hope that this support
and assistance will be cord tally given. q